Women's 400m

Early this season, Sanya Richards made clear her intentions for the 2006 season: an assault on Valerie Brisco’s 48.83 American record which has stood since she struck Olympic Gold in Los Angeles in 1984, six months before Richards was born. In her 13th competition of the year, Richards fulfilled her promise when she crossed the line in a stunning 48.70 performance.

“I was just overwhelmed,” said a beaming Richards, who moved up to the No. 7 spot on the all-time list with the fastest performance the world has since the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, when Richards was just 11 years old.

Running in lane 7, it didn’t take Richards long to make up the stagger en route to one of the most stunning displays in any event all year.

As has become nearly standard procedure this year, Bulgaria’s Vanya Stambolova (Europe) was a distant scond in 50.09, just ahead of Jamaican Novlene Williams of the Americas (50.24).